Visit to Hodovo 2014

At the end of July, ten young people from our parish will be visitng Hodovo, a village in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Families from parts of the former Yugoslavia were ‘ethnically cleansed’ to this barren outcrop during the bloody conflict in that country in the 1990s. St Clare’s parish & school have been ‘reaching out’ to these people since 2008.

James Greenwood

My name is James Greenwood and I am 13 years old, I am a member of the parish of St Clare’s. I believe that it is important that all people at St. Clare’s should support our parish community as much as they can.

I do this by being an Altar Server in the parish and being part of the youth activities here at St. Clare’s. At the end of July I will be one of ten young people from our parish that will travel to Hodovo and support the local young people there.

We will support then by painting the class rooms in the local school to improve their learning environment. We will also replace the chalk boards with whiteboards, this may not seem like much to you and me, but for these young people it will mean a lot. I know this from my own experience having been lucky enough to have been to Hodovo before.

The people of the village of Hodovo in reality do not have very much; they do not have the things we take for granted. The people in this village live in what I can only describe as stone buildings, with hardly any windows. Their front doors are nothing more than a sheet in most cases, this is not too bad in the summer when it is hot, but in the winter as you can imagine these buildings are very cold.

I am very grateful to the people of St. Clare’s who have given me the opportunity to represent them for this project in Hodovo. I am really looking forward to meeting the young people that I met last time I was there and also some of the young people who travelled here for the Preston Guild in 2012.

Sarah Williams

I was thrilled to be asked to be part of the team of young people going to Hodovo this summer. I’ve always been interested in this project and the different ways that the school and parish have supported it, so I now feel excited that I will be able to experience it for myself. It also feels good to know that I will be able to do something physically to help. I am really looking forward to being part of this project as I feel that it will be a fantastic opportunity, and an experience which I will always remember.

Eddy Slater

It is a privilege to have been chosen by St Clare's to participate in the Hodovo project this summer. I am happy about going to the settlement school in Bosnia and helping out with this worthy cause. I would like to see how these people live and how we are helping to improve their lives. For my own benefit, I am looking forward to making new friends, setting a good example for the younger people of our parish and I'm hopeful it will inspire me to volunteer for similar projects in the future.

Megan Mathias

I think that going to Hodovo is a great experience for us and for the children there. I am really looking forward to going on the trip because I have never been anywhere like Bosnia before and it will be a chance to see how people less fortunate than us live in other parts of the world.

Nisha Thanikachalam

As Christians, we should be putting smiles on people’s faces and supporting those in the world who may not be as lucky as us. I feel privileged that I will be able to do exactly this in Hodovo this summer. What might seem to be a simple job of installing whiteboards and painting classrooms in a school is actually a huge action of our love for these people. I am delighted that I will be representing St Clare’s parish and school in Hodovo and I want to be able to share this experience with those back in Preston, to encourage everyone to support this life-changing project!

Oliver Henagan

This is my second trip to Hodovo, to go for a second time is a wonderful opportunity to be able to help the people of this village and school. I have experienced first-hand how much this community needs help from other people. On this trip in August we will be painting the school to enhance their learning environment. This project will be of great benefit to the people of Hodovo and also will help me to give something back to others.

Prakash Thanikachalam

Hodovo is just a normal place like Preston which sadly was affected by violence and wars. This is a very rewarding trip for me as I will be able to help those whose lives were destroyed by the violence. The innocent children at the settlement didn’t cause the violence but unfortunately they are the ones who face the consequences, and I am so glad that I have the chance to make a difference to their lives. Helping and talking to these people will be a fantastic experience and one which I know I will never forget.

Natalie Bonnick

I am both honoured and excited to be given the opportunity to go to Hodovo, Bosnia, and play my part in improving the living and working conditions of an underprivileged community. As a Christian, one aspires to help others and as a young person myself, I presume that the experience will be extremely rewarding for all participants, as we will be able to see for ourselves the improvements that are made, for which we, on behalf of Saint Clare's Parish, can be proud of. I hope that my contribution will be valuable and as a team of young people, I believe that we can make a difference and help others less fortunate than ourselves.

Michael Law

I feel lucky to have been asked to participate in this year’s trip to Bosnia. I have heard a lot about this project over the years and know that the school really appreciates the help we give them. I am looking forward to spending time with the other people from our parish and also meeting our friends in Hodovo who I have heard such a lot about. It will be good for me to do something useful that will help others during the summer holidays.

Nijo Puthuppalliparampil John

I want to go to Hodovo because; I like to help others and spent my time with those who doesn’t have what we have. Also, by helping out in this project I feel that’s it will get me more closer to God by helping those who are in need. This will also give me the opportunity to understand how other live when we live in leisure and entertainment. This will also help me to get to know more people and understand more about them.